Going to the Texas Tejas Time Trials

Submitted by Jim Parker on Thu, 08/09/2011 - 3:38

I've got a partner covering for me at the hospital and we have a sitter for the house and dogs. So now all we've got to do is pack up and make the 1200 mile journey to Glen Rose, TX for the 2011 TTTT.

We've been looking for a good venue to demonstrate that the Cruzbike Vendetta just might be the fastest climbing road bike on the planet (upright or recumbent). Therefore, we needed to find an annual event with established time standards that 1) had hills and 2) doesn't allow drafting. We had a great time at Bike Sebring in Florida in February, but the 12-hour race course is flat as a pancake and how fast you go depends a lot on who's in your paceline.

The 26.5 mile loop course at the TTTT has about 1400 ft of climbing every lap. Thus, 200 miles out there in the Texas heat requires climbing over 10,500 feet ...and pacelines are not allowed.

Maria is planning to ride in the 12-hour "Challenge", and I'm planning to ride in the 6-hour "Shoot-Out". This will also be the first time Maria or I have ridden a production Vendetta in a race. We are both very excited because the bikes are so fast none of our local DF road bike friends want to ride with us anymore. The races are on Saturday September 24. We hope there will be lots of other recumbent bikes coming out for the event. Hope to see YOU there.

Jim Parker's blog

Cool. Looking forward to

Submitted by pjotr320 on Thu, 2011-09-08 04:41.

Cool. Looking forward to reports and photos.

__________________

Peter - 5rwd's and a Q451, I race, commute and live 'bents.

—

Pjotr320 - Q451 Special, and 5 other 'bents
www.pjotr320.blogspot.com

Glad you are going. Looking

Submitted by Tom Roberts on Thu, 2011-09-08 05:44.

Glad you are going. Looking forward to the report. I considered participating in this event. ...maybe next year.
All the Best,
Tom

Jim, With a week to go until

Submitted by Andrew29045 on Sat, 2011-09-17 05:59.

Jim,

With a week to go until the races, I am looking forward to reading about yours and Maria's results! As a future Cruzbike owner (starting with a gently-used Sofrider soon and hopefully a Silvio for 2012), I am particularly eager to find out how the Vendetta handles the climbs.

Good luck to the both of you.

-Andrew

Good luck guys with all the

Submitted by John Tolhurst on Sat, 2011-09-17 23:46.

Good luck guys with all the last minute planning and attention to detail. I know you have worked hard at all the preparations and you deserve smooth sailing from here.

Jim and Maria ... wth the

Submitted by psychling on Sun, 2011-09-18 00:16.

Jim and Maria ... wth the climbing I've done on the Silvio I've gotten many comments from other cyclists that "they didn't think 'bents could climb" until they saw the Silvio.

I've just allowed myself to start training on the Vendetta out here in the Arizona mountains and have one particular impression that you should find interesting. Last week I was taking the Vendetta on a nice sedate one mile loop as I dialed it in to feel right. After a few loops I decided to take the Vendetta into what I thought was an even more sedate residential neighborhood.

While tooling around the quiet residential streets I encountered a hill. Three quarters of the way up the hill I found myself saying: "Hey! This is getting hard." I stopped to check if the mechanicals were working correctly. All was in order. Then I noticed that the `grade' readout on my Garmin was showing "17%." I began looking at the houses, driveways, and the road. They all looked as if they were hanging off the side of a cliff.

If it takes a 17% grade for me to notice that it was getting "kinda hard" on the Vendetta I think you and Maria are going to pop some big eyes at the TTTT!

- Dan
http://psychling1.blogspot.com/

All the best for the big day,

Submitted by John Tolhurst on Fri, 2011-09-23 10:26.

All the best for the big day, we'll be watching from afar!!!!!

^^^ What he said. Good luck,

Submitted by Andrew29045 on Fri, 2011-09-23 23:53.

^^^
What he said. Good luck, ride like the wind. I'll be anxiously checking the results online.

-Andrew

They came, they

Submitted by John Tolhurst on Sun, 2011-09-25 16:38.

They came, they conquered.
Fastest ever female recumbent 12 hour: Maria Parker on Vendetta.
Fastest ever female 12 hour: Maria Parker on Vendetta.
Fastest ever recumbent 12 hour: Maria Parker on Vendetta.
Fastest male recumbent 6 hour: Jim Parker on Vendetta.
Fastest single lap sprint: Jim Parker on Vendetta (done at the start of the 6-hour).

I guess they are resting and celebrating now. Wow - I love what our little company can do.

Awesome achievements by Maria

Submitted by COBRA GT on Mon, 2011-09-26 07:23.

Awesome achievements by Maria and Jim .Congrats. GT.

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G.T.